Arsenal have moved one step closer to finally clinching the signing of Gonzalo Higuain, with his father and agent Jorge saying Real Madrid had given them permission to talk to the English Premier League club.
Higuain has been linked with a move to Arsenal all summer and a move seemed to be dragging on an on, leading to suggestions that the transfer might be off.
However, when it comes to big-money transfers, they do take a long time, and with Arsenal always seen as taking a while to complete their signings - regardless of who they are -- some waiting with baited breath was inevitable.
But, if the latest comments are to be taken from Jorge, it does now seem Higuain will be an Arsenal player sooner rather than later, with the player and his representatives heading to London to agree on a contract - with reports in Argentina suggesting it is a three-year deal worth around £100,000 a week ($152,000).
"We do not negotiate with any club without permission of the selling club," Jorge said according to Marca.
"We got permission from Real Madrid to negotiate face to face with Arsenal and, luckily, soon, I see my son in the Premier League."
Those quotes, if they are not rehashed from the ones published a few weeks back, are certainly encouraging and hopefully for all the Arsenal fans, they can see an official announcement coming over a move at the end of this week or early next week.
Meanwhile, another sensational development regarding Arsenal was when bookies had to suspend betting after they received large amounts of bets over a move for Luiz Suarez from Liverpool to Arsenal.
Betting company William Hill were forced to close their market after receiving a raft of wagers from Spain, according to The Sun.
"It would suggest they have heard something substantial," spokesman Rupert Adams said.
Suarez is expected to leave Liverpool this summer, after expressing his unhappiness with life in England.
Real Madrid are thought to be the frontrunners for the 26-year-old's signature, while Liverpool have repeatedly said the forward is not for sale.
It is almost impossible to imagine Liverpool selling Suarez to a rival like Arsenal, unless of course they receive silly money in the mould of the Fernando Torres move to Chelsea.
While the Gunners have quite a considerable chunk to spend this summer, it is unlikely that Arsene Wenger will be willing to spend the majority of that money on one signing.
Suarez has also expressed his desire to leave England, and with Arsenal very much a London club, it will be strange indeed if the striker leaves Liverpool, citing the way he has been treated by the English media, only to join another Premier League club.
